A gunpowder weapon believed to date from the late Goryeo or early Joseon period has been found in Naju, South Jeolla Province. If the dating holds, it is the oldest gunpowder weapon in South Korea.
The Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, part of the Korea Heritage Service's National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, unveiled the weapon, called hwangja hwatong, at a press briefing on the 21st at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul's Jongno District. The institute said it was made either in 1377, the third year of King U's reign in Goryeo, or in 1437, the 19th year of King Sejong's reign in Joseon. An inscription carved into the body of the weapon records the date of manufacture, the name of the weapon, its weight, the official rank and name of the supervisor, and the name of the craftsman who made it.
"This hwangja hwatong is the earliest surviving gunpowder weapon in our country," the institute said. "Its find site is clearly documented, and its date and the parties behind its production are clearly confirmed by the inscription. Given that physical examples of gunpowder weapons from the late Goryeo to early Joseon period are extremely rare, it is a cultural heritage item of outstanding academic, historical and cultural value."
A hwatong is a weapon that uses gunpowder to fire an arrow or a ball. It was a small gunpowder weapon that dramatically extended range and destructive power beyond the bow, the main weapon of the time. After the reign of King Sejong of Joseon, such weapons came to be called chongtong. This particular hwatong was found by chance in 2023 during a mine-clearing survey conducted ahead of hiking trail construction in an uncleared minefield on Mount Geumseong in Naju.
The weapon measures 23.75 centimeters in length with a bore of 1.66 centimeters and weighs 1,032 grams, making it a small firearm that an individual could carry. Over the three years since its discovery, the institute has deciphered the inscription through scientific analysis and expert consultation and has continued research to establish the object's authenticity, date of manufacture and value.
The hwangja hwatong bears 28 incised characters in total — 27 characters in six columns on the mobyeong, the section into which a wooden handle is inserted, plus one character on the muzzle. The inscription on the mobyeong is read as "jeongsa sibi wol il ryeon hwangja hwatong jung il geun sipsa ryang gamjo noksa An Hyu-bo jangin Seok."
It translates as: "The hwangja hwatong was made in the 12th month of the year jeongsa. Its weight is one geun and 14 ryang. The supervisor is Noksa An Hyu-bo, and the craftsman is Seok." From this, the following can be confirmed: the date of manufacture (the 12th month of a jeongsa year), the name of the weapon (hwangja hwatong), its weight (one geun and 14 ryang), the official rank and name of the production supervisor (Noksa An Hyu-bo), and the name of the maker (Seok). The character "eight" carved on the muzzle is presumed to be a separate production or inventory number for the firearm.
Looking at the meaning of the words in the inscription, the "hwangja" in hwangja hwatong reflects a Goryeo and Joseon classification system that categorized objects according to the order of characters in the Thousand Character Classic. "Gamjo" means the supervisor of production, and "noksa" was an official post responsible for administrative work at a government office. Records show that a noksa was assigned to the Goryeo-era Office of Military Supplies in connection with weapons manufacturing. Records from the Joseon period also confirm that a noksa attached to the Office of Military Supplies oversaw weapons casting, so the terms "gamjo" and "noksa" in the inscription show that the state systematically managed the supervision and production of weapons at the time.
Analysis of relevant documentary records and the history of gunpowder weapons development in Korea narrows the jeongsa year in the inscription to two possibilities: 1377, the third year of King U's reign in Goryeo, or 1437, the 19th year of King Sejong's reign in Joseon. In 1377, at the recommendation of Choe Mu-seon, a Goryeo military official and weapons developer, the Hwatong Dogam was established and the state began producing gunpowder weapons for the first time.
The year 1437, meanwhile, fell during a period under King Sejong when gunpowder weapons were being actively improved, and it precedes 1445, when new types of firearms were standardized. There is currently not enough comparative material to determine which of the two years is the actual date of manufacture, but either way it is clear that the weapon is the earliest gunpowder weapon found or excavated in Korea.
The form of the object supports this dating. The interior of the powder chamber of the hwangja hwatong is rounded. This structure appears in early firearms in which the gunpowder and the projectile were loaded into a single chamber and fired together, and it differs clearly from the powder chamber structure of improved firearms from King Sejong's reign, which used a wooden wad to raise firing efficiency. Based on these formal characteristics, the hwangja hwatong is presumed to be an early type predating those improvements.
Scientific analysis of the hwangja hwatong confirmed that it is a bronze casting with copper, tin and lead as its main components. Notably, the tin content was kept within 10 weight percent. This was a technique for securing both strength and ductility in the bronze so that the barrel would not crack under the explosive force of the gunpowder. This composition matches that of traditional Korean gunpowder weapons.
Observation of the microstructure also identified impurities such as sulfur, silicon and silver left over from the smelting process. These traces reflect the limits of refining technology at the time and support the conclusion that the hwangja hwatong was not made recently but was produced by traditional bronze casting methods.
Huh Min, administrator of the Korea Heritage Service, said the weapon is the earliest form of gunpowder weapon in the country and could be regarded as the origin of South Korea's weapons systems as a defense industry power today. "We will continue to research its relationship to the history of weapons worldwide," the administrator said.
